FLUSHING, N.Y. – Concluding their two-match homestand Friday afternoon, the Queens College men's tennis team welcomed the Firebirds of the University of the District of Columbia to Flushing in East Coast Conference play.
After the Knights clinched the doubles points with a victory at #2 and #3 court, the Knights would complete the afternoon sweep with six singles victory to earn a 7-0 victory.
With the win, the Knights improved their overall record to 3-1 and opened ECC play on a positive note.
Doubles
Opening doubles play, the #3 pair of senior
Francisco Gonzalez (La Plata, Argentina) and freshman
David Cerne (Ljubljana, Slovenia) earned a convincing victory 6-1 over Juan Hernandez and Antonio Durall for an early lead.
But the Firebirds would tie the doubles competition following a victory at #1 court. The pair of sophomore
Lucas Foix Sotos (Javea, Spain) and rookie
Tim Andersson (Linkoping, Sweden) promoted to #1 would battle against Louis Mangeon and Louka Quegeiner but the Knights pair would fall to the final score of 6-2.
Queens would clinch the doubles point at the #2 court as the senior pair
Roni Rikkonen (Tampere, Finland) and
Omar El Shehawey (Cairo, Egypt) earned a 6-2 victory over Mauricio Corty and Oskar Karos.
Singles
Heading into singles play up 1-0, Foix Sotos would shut Hernandez at #4 singles to the score of 6-0, 6-0 to put the Knights up 2-0.
Rookie Cerne would earn his first dual victory of the year at #6 singles as he defeated Corty to the score of 6-0, 6-1 to put the Knights up 3-0.
Queens would clinch the match at #2 singles as Andersson defeated Queguiner to the score of 6-1, 6-3 to take a 4-0 match lead.
Rookie
Noah Gauthier (La Colle-sur-Loup, France) would be the next Knight to finish as he defeated Karos to the score of 6-3, 6-4 at #5 singles.
Junior
Cameron Henricy (Las Palmas, Spain) would soon make it 5-0 as he defeated Durall at #3 singles to the score of 6-2, 6-4.
While at #1 singles, Rikkonen would go back and forth against Mangeon. The senior fell to Mangeon in a first set tiebreaker to the score of 6-7
(5-7) before battling back and forcing a third set tiebreaker as he earned a 6-3 second set victory. In the third set tiebreaker, both players would exchange points back and forth before Rikkonen completed the 7-0 sweep for Queens with an 11-9 third set victory.
Next Serve
The Knights return to non-conference play on Friday (Mar. 22) afternoon as they travel to West Long Branch, N.J. with a matchup against Division I foe Hawks of Monmouth University. First Serve is set for 3:00 p.m.
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